Jordan Henderson is one of five of Suárez’s Liverpool colleagues in Hodgson’s squad, along with captain Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson, Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge. Full-back Jon Flanagan is on standby.

Asked if he had been in touch with Suárez, Henderson said: “Yeah, of course. Everybody is obviously disappointed for Luis, people that know him – maybe not us – because he is a big player for Uruguay.

“I gave him a text to see if he is doing all right and wished him good luck with whatever he has got to have done.

“But I am sure, knowing the type of person he is, he is a fighter and I am sure come maybe the first game or the second game in the World Cup, I am sure he will be ready and raring to go.”

The Uruguay doctor Alberto Pan gave an optimistic update over the fitness of Suárez, but could not give assurances the 27-year-old will be ready to play in Brazil.

“We can happily say that Luis’s participation in the World Cup is not ruled out,” said Pan. “It is very risky to give exact dates. We cannot have absolute certainty or clear numbers, but the postoperative period has been very good.

“Luis is very positive. I never heard a negative expression and he says it is better every day. Today Suárez is painless and is working on fitness.”

Central defender Phil Jagielka admits the England players will have to assume Suárez, who scored 31 Premier League goals this season, will be fit to face them.

“We will have to prepare as if he does make it,” said Jagielka. “I am sure Uruguay have not qualified just because of what Luis Suárez has done, but to the same extent he can make a massive difference.

“Rightly so, he has been the player of the year this year. If the teams you play can’t have their best players, then it is going to be a bit of a bonus. But we can’t put our hopes and thoughts into him not making it. We have to think he will be there.”

Liverpool midfielder Henderson is expected to start for England in Brazil, despite not being selected for any of the World Cup qualifiers.

The 23-year-old has overcome a series of setbacks and obstacles since making his international debut against France in 2010 and had to wait over three years for his next England start against Denmark in March.

“In football, you are going to have times where you have got to be strong and you have got to keep believing in your own ability,” said Henderson, the former Sunderland player. “That is just part and parcel of the game.

“Everybody else would have done the same and all I do is just try to get on with it and work hard. I always believed I was a good enough player to be playing for England and Liverpool as well. Hopefully, I can keep working hard and keep progressing as a player and keep getting better.

“There were a few people who did help me – the big players at Liverpool when you’re around them help you a lot. But at the same time you have to deal with stuff like that on your own and try to get through it on your own.

“No one else can change it except yourself. There is no one more disappointed than us when we don’t have a good game or are not playing well. I just had to keep working hard, keep battling and try and prove them wrong.

“My England debut was a reality check at the time. I’d been doing well for Sunderland and you want your England debut to go well. It was a hard game and it was difficult. But an experience I wouldn’t change for the world. It made a big impact on me and made me stronger.

“When I started again against Denmark, I was more mature, I felt as if I’d improved. I was a different person really.”

Asked specifically about Ferguson’s criticism, Henderson added: “It was a bit strange at first, I think everybody blew it up to be more than it was.

“But, looking back, I read what he had said and I took it as a bit of a compliment, to be honest. Because he said he was watching me and thinking about buying me, so I must have been doing something right at the time. That’s how I took it. I didn’t buy the book, no.”